Development Has Built-in Network Effects

Oct 13th, 2011

It just occurred to me that the more you actually build stuff, is the easier it is to build stuff.

Not only because you get better, but because your library of solutions expands…which encourages you to build more stuff (because you are creating less ‘novel’ pieces of your new project) which expands your library even more and makes you even better. Creating a virtuous positive cycle.

That happened to me just now. I needed a divider, something simple, elegant, doesn’t involve a GIF or any images, and pure CSS. Well, I remember struggling with this for CompVersions, so I painstakingly took the time to create one.

It’s nice, simple and very elegant.

I literally just copied and pasted that one CSS rule from CompVersions to my new project and added an empty div…BAM! Perfect divider.

Yes, I am a relatively n00bie ‘full-time’ developer, so these sorts of ‘obvious stuff’ are just now clicking with me - so you have to forgive my bouts of spontaneous joy when I come across them.

I imagine there must be other professions where this is true, take Law for instance (where you have a sample contract that is just re-used as the basis for all future contracts) - but it never occurred to me that it would be so powerful for development.